Do Awnings Help Cut Down Energy Costs in Winter?

The cost of heating and cooling your home can add up over time. However, reducing energy usage and energy costs can make a big impact in the long run. A home’s carbon footprint can be significantly reduced by finding energy-efficient ways to heat and cool it. An efficient method of lowering energy costs is by installing window coverings or awnings. Awnings are not just good for summer savings, they can also help save money on energy during winter.

What are aluminum awnings?
Aluminum awnings or overhangs provide a secondary covering mounted to your home’s exterior wall. They’re smart solutions that offer sturdy protection from rain, snow, and sunlight, and they come in a variety of styles and colors. 

Benefits of aluminum awnings
1. Awnings result in a significant reduction in energy and utility bills during winter.
2. They deliver comfort and safety by providing all-weather protection.
3. Throughout different seasons, awnings are secure, dependable, and durable.
4. They shield exterior walls, paint, windows, and doors from harsh weather conditions.
5. They enhance and expand your outdoor living space for fun and relaxation.

Can aluminum awnings reduce energy costs in winter?
Yes, adding aluminum awnings to your house will improve its energy efficiency in winter as well as summer. Aluminum awnings can be used year-round due to their ability to endure wind, hail, and snowfall. By trapping heat around the windows, they can help to keep the area around the windows warmer. During the warmer months, your awning will not only keep the sun out of your home, but it can also reduce the amount of heat that enters your house – allowing your air conditioner to run at a lower setting.

Aluminum awnings or Fabric awnings. Which is better?
Aluminum awnings are weather-resistant, easy to maintain, and reduce energy bills drastically during winter. They provide protection against rain, snow, and wind, and they are capable of preserving heat inside your home as well. Because aluminum awnings are durable, they require little maintenance. It’s unlikely that they will need repairs or patching as often as fabric awnings during severe weather conditions. Luckily, Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. is your one-stop shop for garage doors and awnings installation. Call us at 724 443 1437 to know more about our services. 

Safety Tips for Garage Doors

A garage door is a convenient addition to any home, allowing safe, convenient entry and protecting your garage space and the contents from the elements. It’s important to utilize proper maintenance and operating procedures to ensure it’s safe to use your garage door. Here are a few tips to follow to make garage doors as safe as possible. 

Periodically Test the Electronic Controls

Electric sensors and control units enable modern garage doors to open and close safely. However, if these devices malfunction, your garage door may not sense that a person or animal is in its path.

When a garage door’s electronic controls sense that something is in its path, it reverses course as a safety feature. A garage door without functional electronic controls is a huge safety hazard and can cause serious injury. 

Test the sensors by passing an object in front of them when your garage door is closing; it should immediately stop closing. Your sensors are mounted to the side rails a few inches from the ground. 

Regularly Examine Your Garage Door for Signs of Wear or Damage

Each month, examine the components of your garage door, like the rollers, hardware, springs, and cables, to confirm that nothing is stretched or broken. If something looks broken or worn out, don’t use your garage door until a professional examines and fixes the damaged component. 

Encourage Safe Habits

Make sure that your kids and family members understand safe garage door habits. Your family should understand that the garage door remote isn’t a toy or something for kids to use. Store the remote where it isn’t easily accessible to ensure children don’t accidentally gain access to it.

Teach your kids to stay away from the springs and garage door hardware, as these components can cause injury. Tell them to wait until the garage door is completely open and finished moving before going underneath it. 

Increase the Safety of Your Garage Door

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. has the experience and knowledge to fix any issues that cause your garage door to pose a safety risk. Contact us at 724-443-1437 to get started. 

4 Benefits of Having an Awning

Awnings are coverings that are installed over an outdoor space. Often used on patios or over a window, they help protect you from the elements and improve your outdoor areas. 

But they more than protect your space from rain. If you’re considering installing an awning, they might have more benefits than you previously thought. Here are 4 of the top benefits of having an awning.

Increase your outdoor space

One of the top reasons families choose to install awnings is to increase useable space in their homes. An awning can help provide shade in the warmer months and block out light rain on cloudy days. This way you can spend more time outside and enjoy time on your patio or in your yard.

A retractable awning can make your space more flexible by extending further or closer as necessary.

Make your home more energy efficient

Adding an awning to your residential property can help block direct sunlight in the summer months. By reducing sun rays, you can reduce the heat in your home – saving on air conditioning costs and reducing your carbon footprint.

Protect from UV rays

An awning that’s strategically placed over a window or doorway can reduce the amount of direct sunlight coming into your home. Not only are excessive UV rays harmful for you and your family, but they can also damage and discolor furniture and finishes over time. 

An awning can provide up to 80% SPF protection and increase the longevity of the interior of your home.

Improve privacy

If you have outdoor spaces that directly face neighbors, awnings can help block direct views into your home. While they don’t give complete privacy, like window coverings, awnings also don’t block out all the natural light. Giving you the best of both worlds.

Awnings can also improve the privacy of your outdoor spaces.

Get an awning for your home today

A professional can help evaluate your outdoor spaces and suggest an awning that will maximize the benefits for you and your home. From retractable to fixed awnings, Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. has a selection for everyone. Contact us today to explore our selection of awnings.

Benefits of Routine Maintenance for Businesses

Business owners have a lot of tasks on their to-do lists, but one item that’s essential to add to your schedule is preventative maintenance for your facilities.

Preventative maintenance will keep your doors, shutters, security grilles, and garage doors functioning correctly so that they don’t interfere with your operations or pose a safety hazard to your employees and customers. Here are a few benefits associated with routine maintenance for your business.

Minimizes Downtime Related to Unexpected Repairs

By scheduling preventative maintenance, you can schedule downtime when it’s ideal for your business. While some downtime is necessary to keep your business functioning properly, emergency repairs nearly always have more downtime than scheduled maintenance.

You won’t have to worry about losing hours of productivity because your security grille breaks or your garage doors won’t open when you have shipments to get out or inventory to process.

Instead, you can schedule garage door maintenance and other tasks when it’s convenient for you.

Regular Maintenance Keeps Your Employees Safe

Heavy doors, gates, and security shutters that don’t work properly are a safety risk for your employees.

An employee who’s depending on your security grille or door to remain open can suffer severe injuries if the door shuts on them.

Or, if you neglect to call a garage door company and a garage door malfunctions, this can potentially cause an accident that hurts your employees and damages your vehicles and equipment.

You Can Lower Your Overall Expenses

By budgeting for regular maintenance, you can reduce your need for costly emergency service calls. This helps you keep your expenses associated with maintaining your facilities at a reasonable level.

Regular maintenance also prolongs the lifespan of your doors, security grilles, and shutters, ensuring that they achieve their maximum lifespans and that you don’t have to prematurely pay for their replacements.

Get Started on Your Maintenance-Related Tasks

Want to make sure that all of your business’s maintenance is up-to-date? Contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. today at 727-443-1437 to schedule your service call.

How to Choose a Security Grille for Your Business

You’ve invested a lot of time, money, and resources into your business; you don’t want your company to suffer because thieves decide to target your facilities.

A security grille is an excellent addition for protecting your business’s inventory, supplies, and equipment, as well as keeping your employees safe. Follow these tips when choosing a security grille or gate.

Decide How You Want to Open and Close Your Security Grille

One detail to consider is how you prefer to operate your security grille.

Rolling grilles open and close vertically; you often see this type of security grille at stores in your local mall. It’s available as a manual grille and as a motorized grille.

A manual grille requires someone to open and close it, while a motorized grille will open with the push of a button. Rolling grilles are ideal for securing a business with a conventional shape.

Sliding grilles have a side-folding design that only permits manual operation. The design of sliding grilles is customizable, making them ideal for complex spaces that don’t have a conventional design (like a store with a semi-circle-shaped store entrance).

A sliding grille or gate is affordable and capable of accommodating wide spaces and curves.

Select the Appropriate Material and Design for Your Security Grille

Multiple materials and designs are available for your security grille.

A tempered glass security grille makes the interior of your business completely inaccessible while still allowing people to see inside of your business. If you want a security grille that won’t distract from your company’s aesthetics, a tempered glass alternative is a terrific option.

Open-style security grilles have space between the grille’s bars that allows air to enter your business’s space. It also allows people to see inside your facilities.

Security grills are also available in a solid design that uses aluminum. This design secures your space and prevents anyone from seeing inside of your business.

How to Add a Security Grille to Your Business

Ready to select your business’s new security grille? Contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. online or call 724-443-1437. 

Reasons to Upgrade Your Garage Door Opener This Summer

You’re arriving home after a long day and there’s a chilly torrential downpour. You use your electric garage door opener to attempt to park your vehicle and escape from the elements, but you quickly discover that it doesn’t work.

Until it stops working, most individuals give their garage door openers little thought. However, it’s more convenient to upgrade your garage door opener before it starts giving you significant trouble.

Here are a few reasons to upgrade your garage door opener this summer.

Your Current Garage Door Opener is Noisy

When you’re leaving for your early morning shift or arriving home after a late-night, you want to minimize any disturbance to your household or neighbors.

However, old electric garage door openers are prone to making a lot of noise; some even make a particularly annoying screeching sound.

Replacing your garage door opener with a more modern option will minimize any noise associated with opening and closing your garage door.

You’ll Have Better Control Over Your Garage Door

Updated garage door openers have innovative technology that makes it as easy as possible to open your garage door. New garage door openers have a better range and additional features that are a smart addition to your home.

Over time, garage door openers experience wear and tear. This makes them more likely to catch and refuse to open, causing you to have to manually open and close your garage door.

Or, the garage door may jam entirely and require an inconvenient emergency repair.

Newer Garage Door Accessories are More Efficient

New garage door openers use less energy than older models. Upgrading it helps you make your home more energy-efficient so that you can lower your utility bills and reduce your home’s environmental impact.

How to Upgrade Your Garage Door Accessories

Ready to learn more about garage door accessories that can enhance the functionality of your garage door? Contact Thomas V Giel. Garage Doors, Inc. at 724-443-1437 or contact us online.  

Why is Water Leaking into My Garage?

It’s normal to see small accumulations of water on your garage floor that were caused by strong rainstorms or melting snow. They are usually easy to clean up or evaporate with no issues, but there may be a problem if you are finding more than the occasional puddle. Water accumulation in corners or odd spots that are causing damage need to be attended to. While looking for a garage door leak is a good place to start, there are many other sources to consider.

Here are some areas to check for water leakage.

1. Damaged or Broken Door Seals – If the gasket, or bottom seal, of the garage door is damaged or torn, it will let in water, debris, and unwanted animal pests.
2. Garage Door Problems – Things like the door being off of its alignment or other damage could also be allowing water into your garage.
3. Rain Gutters – Water can pool and seep into the garage if there are no gutters to drain the water away from the house or if the existing gutters are leaking.
4. Surrounding Terrain – Gravity might be causing the water to flow naturally to its lowest point which might be the floor of your garage.
5. Deteriorating Seams – Seals around windows and doors may need fresh caulk to keep moisture out.
6. Sill Plate Deterioration – If the sill plates at the foundation of your home have been damaged by decay or termites, they could be the source of the problem.
7. Plumbing Issues – A leaky pipe or water heater can cause water damage.
8. Missing Shingles or Moisture Barriers – Damaged roofing or siding might be allowing the water to get into your garage.

Floor cracks and pitting can pave the way for more damage that occurs over time. Water that continually soaks wood framing and drywall leads to structural damage, the possible formation of mold, and very costly repairs.

Garage door repairs, such as replacing the gasket, may be the solution. An experienced, fully insured, trusted garage door company will provide trained experts who can identify the problem and guide you through the repair process to include choosing a new door if necessary. If you are having a water problem in your garage, contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., for a consultation.

4 Benefits of Upgrading to an Insulated Garage Door

Garage doors serve many purposes. They secure our homes by locking out intruders, they keep animals out, and they create a protected space for our vehicles and other belongings by sheltering them from the weather. While just about any kind of a garage door can suffice, there are things that insulated garage doors do that go beyond protecting our homes and the possessions inside.

Here are some reasons to consider upgrading to an insulated garage door.

1. Insulated Garage Doors Make Less Noise – Non-insulated lightweight doors often  make the most noise. This can be an issue for people trying to sleep or work in rooms located directly over the garage or next to it. Insulated doors are heavier and the panels are made of tightly bonded materials, so they vibrate less when moving up or down along the track. They can also help to block more noise from the area surrounding your home.
2. Insulated Garage Doors Last Longer – Since the panels are constructed from layered materials, they are stronger and more durable than non-insulated doors. Older style garage door panels are made by wrapping thin sheets of steel over the panel frames, which makes them essentially hollow. They can be easily dented or damaged when hit by a car, a bicycle, or even a basketball or football. A dented garage door takes away from your home’s curb appeal and value. With an insulated garage door, you can ensure the value of that garage door for years to come.
3. Insulated Garage Doors Save You Money – An insulated garage door will hold more heat inside your garage and therefore, your home. This means that less heat is lost from your home through the garage and your furnace won’t have to work harder to compensate for it. Your insulated garage door will save you money on your heating bills each month.
4. Insulated Garage Doors Protect Your Car – Cold weather affects cars in adverse ways, such as decreasing the air pressure in tires, thickening engine and brake fluids, and causing the battery to have a harder time starting the vehicle. An insulated door can raise the temperature inside the garage to about 42° F when the temperature outside is 20°F. Car batteries work best at temperatures between 30 and 90° F. Upgrading to an insulated garage door protects some of your biggest investments, your home and your vehicle.

Choosing the right insulated garage door for your home involves knowing which materials would provide the best value and style. An experienced garage door installation company like Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., can show you the available options and help you make an excellent choice.

Why Garage Door Repairs and Installation Should Be Left to the Professionals

Reasons to Leave Garage Door Repairs to the Professionals

Chances are you’ve tried your hand at a number of DIY home projects and consider yourself proficient with the tools you have. This gives you the confidence to tackle bigger and more complex tasks. However, you may not have the experience to accomplish garage door repairs, and below are a few reasons why these repairs should be left to professionals.

DIY Garage Door Installation Is Time-Consuming

If you’re the average DIYer, you know how time-consuming some projects are. Even if you can set aside time for installing your own garage door, you may find that it’s far more time-consuming than you realized. Having a professional install your garage door frees your time and allows you to focus on other things.

Saves You Money

Having a professional install your garage door or perform repairs saves you money. You may find that a component you need is far more expensive than your bank account can handle. Let the professionals take care of finding the correct parts for a good price. They probably know more about the industry than you do.

Professionals See the Details

While you might have an eye for details in other areas of your life, you might miss details that can ruin your garage door project. An experienced professional knows when your garage door needs extra weatherstripping, as well as other issues you may have with your garage door.

Professionals Preserve Your Warranty

As with your car or HVAC system, most garage doors come with a manufacturer warranty in the event of something going wrong with your garage door. As with your HVAC system, the warranty only stays valid if a qualified professional performs the repairs and installation. When you perform DIY repairs and installations, you risk voiding your warranty.

Professional Repairs Are Safer

One of the disadvantages of doing your own garage door repair or installation is that you have a higher chance of getting injured in the process. These injuries range from puncture wounds, falling off ladders, and injuries from torsion springs. A professional knows how to work safely and has the proper safety equipment for the job.

When you decide to fix your garage door, you want to know that you’re in good hands. Contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. today for all your residential and commercial garage door repairs and installations.

4 Steps for When Your Garage Door Gets Stuck

When a garage door gets stuck, it creates a major annoyance as well as a safety hazard. Homeowners ought to be able to open and close the door whenever they please. On occasion, however, the garage door simply won’t cooperate. Here are some steps you can take when your garage door gets stuck.

Confirm Power

A lack of power is typically the easiest issue to fix, so start there. Ensure the garage door opener is plugged into an outlet. If it is, test the outlet by plugging in another device (such as a nightlight) and seeing whether or not the new device is receiving power. If the car remote or keypad will not open the door but the interior button will, try a new set of batteries in either the remote or keypad as needed.

Check the Lock

The locking feature may have been inadvertently activated. Check the interior panel to make sure it is not “locked.” In lock mode, the door will not respond to remotes. The interior button will usually be lit to some degree. A steady light indicates that the door is unlocked while a flashing light usually means the door is locked. To lock or unlock a door, press and hold the “lock” button until the light pattern changes.

Lubricate Moving Metal Parts

Most hardware stores sell lubricants designed specifically for garage door openers. Use this type or another silicone-based lubricant. Spray a small amount of lubricant on top of the rails, at metal hinges, and along metal springs. During this step, also ensure bolts and other fasteners are secure. Lubrication is an important step in door maintenance and should be performed at least once every six months.

Test the Alignment

When a garage door becomes misaligned,it often struggles to open or close. If the door is stuck, try using the manual release  to slide the door open or closed by hand. When properly lubricated, the door should glide easily and smoothly. If not, the door is likely misaligned, which will require professional attention.

Some home maintenance concerns can be handled without professional help. In the event of a garage door getting stuck, several steps can be taken at home before reaching out to a professional repair team. Follow these steps to diagnose and remedy the stuck garage door. 

If your garage door is causing your problems, schedule a service call with Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. experts. For more helpful information about maintaining your garage door, browse the Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. blog.